Husband gets prison sentence in wife's death

William Freudenthal takes the oath to speak, with his attorney, James G. Reardon Jr., at left, during a court hearing today.

Jennifer Freudenthal's father quietly talked about his daughter, her love of animals and how her death has left a large hole in his heart.

The 50-year-old woman died last year after fighting with her husband, William E. Freudenthal, who today in Worcester Superior Court pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of his wife.

Mr. Freudenthal, now 52, pleaded guilty to the charge, which Judge James R. Lemire said was a “just resolution” in the case based on the circumstances surrounding Mrs. Freudenthal's death. Mr. Freudenthal had been indicted on a charge of second-degree murder in the case.

With Mrs. Freudenthal's sisters and father in the courtroom, her husband clearly and crisply said “guilty” when asked for his plea on the lesser charge.

“It's very sad. I don't see her anymore,” William E. Merriam, father of Mrs. Freudenthal, told Judge Lemire. “It's a big hole in my heart. To see one (of his daughters) go before me, it's very sad.”

Mr. Freudenthal was sentenced to serve 3 to 3 1/2 years in prison, with 595 days' credit for time served while awaiting trial.

State police investigators were called to the couple's home at 59 Brookside Ave. in Webster about 1:15 p.m. March 22, 2011, on a report of a domestic assault and battery.

Troopers learned that Webster police had been sent to the home about 12:35 p.m. that day to assist Internal Revenue Service agents as they seized a classic car owned by the couple, Assistant District Attorney Courtney L. Sans said in court.

The couple's daughter Ashley was home during the seizure and videotaped her father's encounter with the IRS agents. The video showed Mr. Freudenthal was agitated by their presence.

Within minutes of leaving the home, Webster police began receiving 911 hang-up calls from the Freudenthal residence. Officers met the daughter outside the home. She had left after the IRS agents seized the car.

The daughter told police Mrs. Freudenthal was an alcoholic and had begun drinking that day at 9:30 a.m. Mrs. Freudenthal allegedly smashed her husband's guitars after the IRS agents seized the car, Ms. Sans said.

Police found Mrs. Freudenthal on the bathroom floor. Mr. Freudenthal was conducting CPR on his wife.

“Mr. Freudenthal explained that he had pushed his wife during an altercation and that she had fallen and possibly hit her head,” Ms. Sans said. “A large pool of blood was observed on the floor beneath Jennifer Freudenthal's head and torso and was on Mr. Freudenthal's hands, arms and sweatshirt.”

In an interview with state police investigators, Mr. Freudenthal said he had argued with his wife about the seizure of the classic car and the destruction of the guitars. Sometime during the argument Mrs. Freudenthal locked herself in the bathroom.

He said his wife came out of the bathroom, bumped him in the hallway, and there he pushed her. Mrs. Freudenthal fell backward into the bathroom, where Mr. Freudenthal believed she hit her head. She became unresponsive after that.

Mr. Freudenthal called police to report what happened. Mrs. Freudenthal was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed her blood-alcohol-content at the time of autopsy was .12, a level that is considered intoxicated.

“He does regret it. He does accept a measure of responsibility for this,” Mr. Freudenthal's defense lawyer James G. Reardon Jr. said. “He does acknowledge it is a tragedy. He does feel bad for his wife's family and everyone involved.”